Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran has asked his agent to get him a move to Chelsea, according to The Mirror (via the Chelsea Chronicle).
Respected journalist David Ornstein revealed last week that the Blues have retained an interest in the Colombian international.
The London club tried to sign Duran during the January transfer window but Villa were not interested in doing a deal at the time.
Since then, the 20-year-old has continued to be a bit-part player for Unai Emery’s side, with the forward having to play second fiddle to Ollie Watkins up front.
Why are Chelsea interested in the striker?
Duran has shown flashes of brilliance during his 18 months at Villa Park, despite being mostly used as an impact sub. After coming on against Liverpool last month, he bagged a brace, helping his team come from 3-1 down to secure a 3-3 draw. After the match, his captain John McGinn said:
“Big Jhon [Duran] is a bit nuts at times, he’s a nightmare to play against.”
You can interpret those comments as meaning that Duran is a pretty explosive forward, who is rather inconsistent. There are certainly comparisons to be drawn between the Colombian and Nicolas Jackson.
Will the club revive their pursuit of Duran?
A lot hinges on what happens with Benjamin Sesko. Chelsea are keen on securing the Slovenian international’s services but they are facing competition from the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United.
All three teams are reportedly prepared to trigger Sesko’s €65m (£55m) release clause before the end of the month but, if he does express a preference for one of the other teams involved, Enzo Maresca’s side may have to look at fallback options. In that scenario, a move for Duran could be revisited, and it appears the player would be very much open to the approach.
